Simplify the Expression: a^4 × a^5 Using Exponent Rules

Question

Choose the expression that is equal to the following:

a4a5 a^4\cdot a^5

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Simply
00:03 When multiplying powers with equal bases
00:07 The power of the result equals the sum of the powers
00:11 We'll use this formula in our exercise, and add the powers
00:16 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

We will use the law of exponents:

aman=am+n a^m\cdot a^n=a^{^{m+n}}

which means that when multiplying identical numbers raised to any power (meaning - identical bases raised to not necessarily identical powers), we can keep the same base and add the exponents of the numbers,
let's apply this law to the problem:

a4a5=a4+5=a9 a^4\cdot a^5=a^{4+5}=a^9

Let's note something important, that this solution can also be explained verbally, since raising to a power means multiplying the number (base) by itself as many times as the exponent indicates, and therefore multiplying a a by itself 4 times and multiplying the result by the result of multiplying a a by itself 5 times is like multiplying a a by itself 9 times, meaning multiplication between identical numbers (identical bases) raised to powers, not necessarily identical, can be calculated by keeping the same base (same number) and adding the exponents.

Answer

a9 a^9